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13 Rules For Driving In Panama
1. Never use turn signals -- this will give away your next move. A real
Panamanian driver never uses them.
2. Under no circumstance should you leave a safe distance between you and
the car in front of you, this space will be filled by at least 2 taxis and
a BMW, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.
3. The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you
have of getting hit.
4. Never, ever come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it
and it will only result in you being rear-ended.
5. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your
ABS kicks in, giving you a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal
pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to stretch your legs.
6. Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It's a good way
to check if the people entering the highway are awake.
7. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a guideline.
They are especially not applicable in Panama during rush hour. That's why
it's called 'rush hour.'
8. Just because you're in the right lane and have no room to speed up or
move over doesn't mean that a Panamanian driver honking behind you doesn't
think he can go faster in your spot.
9. Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident or even
someone changing a tire. Never stop to help -- you will be mugged.
10. Learn to swerve abruptly. Panama is the home of the high-speed slalom
driving thanks to the Ministry of Public Works, which removes manhole
covers and puts other holes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and
keeps them on their toes.
11. It is traditional in Panama to honk your horn at cars that don't move
the instant the light turns green.
This prevents pigeons from building nests on top of the traffic light and
birds from making deposits on your car.
12. Remember that the goal of every Panamanian driver is to get there
first, by whatever means necessary.
13. On average, at least three cars can still go through an intersection
after the light has turned red. It's people not adhering to this basic
principle that causes the big traffic jams during rush hour.
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